Reversing multiplier



April 13, 1933. wATTlE ET AL 1,904,338

\REVERSING MULTIPLIER Filed Aug 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l I JnxfentornsUflliarq Uaitie Kafl iwmtten PIE 1 ttor'ncq's 1933' w. M. WATTIE ET ALREVERSING' MULTIPLIER Filed Aug. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 =9nxfentor$Uima TR wattle Karl E) April 18, 1933. w. M. VYATTIE ET AL v I 1,904,338

REVERS ING MULT IPLI ER Filed Aug. 5, 1951 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Smfentorsq Uimam mmfattie. KAN S. Umtten M f Qttornegs p i 8 1933- w. M. WATTIEEm 90 ,338

REVERSING MULTIPLIER 4 Sheets-Sheet :4

Filed Aug. 5, 1931 Snflentors Mifliam m Hattie Karl 5. hlnittenattorneys i along the line Q' -2 in Fig. 1;

Patented Apr. 1 8, 1933 Io-mun *fs 1-t sis PATENT OFFICE. A

wI I M ATrIE. or" woRonsrEmANn KARL s. HI'rr N, or AUBURm Ass cnusn'rrs,ASSIGNQRS ro cnoiurron &. NOWL S LOOM wonxsor woRoEs'rEn,

,' MASSACHUSETTS, A oogaronArronor MASSACHUSETTS nnvnnsrive MULTIPLIERApplication filed August a, 1931. Serial No. 554,665.

. This invention relates to mechanism for controlling the Operation of apattern chain in a dropbox loom. While capable of general application,therinvention is particularly designedforuse in connection with a dobbyof the type which is known commercially asza Knowleshead. t p 1 It istheobject of our invention to provide a multiplier of improvedandsimplified construction, by which a box chainmay'be-reversed wheneverdesired, andby which the indication of any selected chain bar may berepeated a predetermined number of times. 'We also provide a multiplierin which the multiplying mechanism is operative-inboth directionsofmovement of the multiplier;

A further object of'the invention is to provide-a multiplier which isadaptedto bereadily applied to looms of the Knowles head type whicharealready built and in operation. Our invention further relates toarrangements and combinations ofparts which will be hereinafterdescribed and" more particularly poin'tedout in the appended claims. I Apreferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which I IFig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved multiplier; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation, taken Fig. 3 isfla'detail Viewshowing the gear drive and looking in the direction of thearrow3inFig.l; e

' Fig. 4' is a plan view of ourimproved multiplier, looking in thedirection ofthe arrow 4inFig.1; Fig. 5fis a se tional side elevation ofcertain parts'taken substantially along the line '.5'in Fig. 4', and jFig. 6 is a sectional end elev ation,-taken along the' line 6 6 inFig.4.

Referring to Fig. 2; we have shown our im proved"inultiplier' as mountedupon a drop boxloomhaving a Knowles'headfor operating the. drop boxesand'the harnesses, We

have shown a portion ofthe dobby frame 10, one of the cylinder gears 11,and one of the vibrator gears 12, pivoted at 13130 a'vibrator lever 14mounted to swing about a fixed cross bar or shaft 15. The vibrator gear12 is connected by a link 16 to control the usual mechanism by which thedrop boxes are raisedand lowered. All of these parts are of the usualconstruction and form no part-of our present invention.

The dobby'frame -as commercially constructed haspreviouslyv beenprovided with a-bearingsurface 17 which is well adapted'to 1 receive ourimproved multiplier and'to which the multiplier may be attached withoutinvolving any structural changes in the dobby or-Knowles head aspreviously manufactured and sold.

a Our improved multiplier comprises end frames-20 and 21 (Fig. 4)connected by one or more'cross rods 22 and by, across girt 23. The framemembers 20 and 21 may be clamped to the surfaces 17 of the dobby frame10 by bolts 24 and the multiplier may be readily attached. or removed asdesired.

Our lmproved mult1pl1er comprises abox- 7 in timed relation thereto. Thedriveshaft v '36 is driventhrough a gear 41 whichv meshes directly withthe gear 39 previously de-- scribed. NVith these. connections,the-shafts and 36willbe continuously rotated at equal speeds but inopposite directions.

i one-toothed driver or pin gear--44 (Fig. 1) isslidable on the shaft 36but is keyed or otherwise secured-thereto, soas to be continuouslyrotated-thereby. A similar pingear-or driver 45 is slidable on the shaft35' ancl is also continuously rotated thereby.

The hub of the pin gear 44 is grooved to receive a yoke arm 46 on acollar 47 slidable on a fixed stud 48. The pin gear 45 is similarlygrooved to receive ayoke arm .49 (ma. 1.

hub 50 slidable on a fixed stud 51.

The hubs 47 and 50 are grooved to receive opposite ends of a lever 52,mounted on a fixed pivot 53 and having a laterally projecting arm 54connected by a link 55 to a lever 56 pivoted on the cross bar 22previously described.

As the lever 56 is raised or lowered by the reversing chain It, thelever 52 is shifted to move one or the other of the pin gears 44 or 45into position to engage and drive a star wheel 60 on a drive shaft 01.Consequently the drive shaft 61 is advanced step by step as the loom isoperated but the direction of retation is controlled by the reversingchain R. A spring 57 normally maintains the parts in the position shownin Fig. 1, with the pin gear 44 in position to engage the star wheel 60.

The pattern or box chain B (Fig. 1) controls a plurality of levers 63which are connected by links 64 to the vibrator levers 14 previouslydescribed and which thus control the operation of the drop boxmechanism. When our improved multiplier is in use, it is customary toomit the usual box chain in the dobby, using the dobby to drive theharness chain H (Fig. 1) only, said chain being mounted on the usualharness chain cylinder also indicated in Fig. 1. This cylinder is intermittently advanced in one direct-ion only by the usual drivingmechanism as shown for instance in the prior reissue patent to Knowles#7,784, dated July 3, 1877.

The box chain B also controls the positions oftwo additional levers and71 which are connected as will be described to determine the operationof the reversing chain R- and the multiplying chain M.

The box chain B is provided with a star wheel 72 (Fig. 4) and is rotatedby a pin gear 73 slidable on the drive shaft 61 but keyed or otherwisesecured for rotation therewith. The gear 73 is provided with a pluralityof pins 74, each of which is adapted to engage and advance the starwheel 72 associated with the box chain B. The gear 73 is positionedaxially by a yoke forming a part of an arm 7 5 secured to a sliding bar76. A spring 77 (Fig. 5) tends to disengage the gear 73 from the starwheel 72.

A bell crank lever 78 (Fig. 5) is pivoted at 79 on a bracket 80supported by the cross girt 23. The depending arm of the bell crank 78engages the end of the sliding rod- 76, and the horizontal arm of thebell crank is connected by a link 82 to a lever 83pivoted on the crossrod 22 (Fig. 4) and extending over the multiplying chain M.

As the lever 83 is raised by a ball on the chain M, the arm 75 will bemoved to the left in Fig. 4 and the pin gear 73 will engage the starwheel 72 and intermittently advance the box chain B.

The sprocket 31 for the multiplying chain M is provided with a starwheel 90 (Fig. 4) adapted to be engaged by a pin gear 91,

rotatable with but slidable on the drive shaft 35 and positioned by ayoke arm 92 secured to a sliding rod 93 (Fig. 5). A collar 94 on the rod93 is engaged by a bell crank 95 mounted on a fixed pivot 96 andconnected by a link 97 to a lever 71 previously described. Asprmg 98moves the rod 93 yieldingly to the left.

The sprocket 32 (Fig. 4) for the reversing chain R is provided with astar wheel 100, adapted to be engaged by a pin gear 101 rotatable withbut slidable on the drive shaft 35, and positioned by a yoke arm 102secured'to the end of a sliding rod 103.

A collar 104 on the opposite end of the rod 103 is engaged by one arm ofa bell crank lever 105, pivoted at 106 and having its other armconnected by a link 107 to the lever 70 previously described. A spring108 engages a collar 109 on the rod 103-and yieldingly moves the rod tothe left in Fig. 5, holding it in engagement with the bell crank 105., 7

Having described the details of construction of our improved multiplier,the method of operation thereof is as follows:

As previously stated,the pingears 44 and 45 (Fig. 1) are continuouslyrotated in opposite directions through the train of gears shown in Fig.3 and are alternately rendered operative by movement of the three-armedlever 52.

Gon. sequently, the drive shaft 61 will be given intermittent movementsat regular intervals and in timed relation to the rotation of the dobbycylinder gears 11, but these intermittent movements of the drive shaft61 will be in either direction, according to the position of the lever52.

Under normal operating conditions, a ball on the multiplying chain Mwill be positioned under the lever 83, thus holding the pin gear 73 inposition to engage and intermittently advance the star wheel 72connected to the sprockets 30 which support the box chain B.

Also under normal conditions, a sinker on the reversing chain R will bepositioned under the lever 56, which will cause the pin gear 44 toengage the star wheel 60 and will cause the box chain B to be moved inthe normal direction indicated by the arrow ain Fig. 4.

Sinkers on the box chain B under the levers 70 and 71 will permit thepin gears 91 and 101 to be moved to inoperative positions by the sprin s98 and 108. Conseuently, so long as SlIlTieI'S appear under the levers70 and 71, the multiplying and reversing chains will remain fixed inposition and the box chain B will be intermittently and regularly movedin a forward direction to shift the box levers 63 according tothe'make-up of the box chain.

If it is desired to repeat the indication of a particular bar of the-boxchain B, a ball is. placed on this particular bar in position to raisethe lever 71. Such movement of the lever 71, acting through theconnections stops the feed of the reversing chain R, hold- :W the lever70, whereupon the reversing chain wheel 90 and the multiplying chain M.

The box chain B will be held stationary as long as sinkers on themultiplying chain M continue to appear under the lever 83, and furthermovement of the box chain B will not take place until the next ballappears on the multiplying chain. The indicated bar of the box chain Bmay thus be repeatedly indicated as many times as desired by placingsuccessive sinkers'on the multiplying chain M, and

the repeat will be terminated by the appearance of a ball or riser onthe multiplying chain M.

All feeding movements of the box chain B a will be in the forwarddirection so long as sinkers are used under the lever 70. When a ballappears under the lever 70, the lever acts through the connections shownin Fig. 5 to shift the pin gear 101 to operative position, in which itengages and advances the star wheel 100 and the reversing chain R.

If a ball on the chain R then appears under the lever 56, this leveracts through the reversing lever 52 to shift the driving connections forthe star wheel 60 on the drive shaft 61 and thereby cause the driveshaft to be rotated in the opposite direction. The box usual by the pingear 7 3 but in the backward rather than the forward direction.

The first reverse movement of the box chain B brings a sinker under thelever 56 and thus ing the lever 52 in reverse position. The intermittentfeed of the box chain B in the backward direction will continue untilanother ball appears in the box chain B under R will be moved one stepin the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 4.

If this movement of the chain R causes a sinker to appear under thelever 56, the lever 52 will be shifted and the box chain B will begin tomove in the forward direction, but if another ball instead of a sinkerappears under the lever 56, the box chain B will continue its backwardmovement.

It will thus appear that we have provided relatively-simple multiplyingmechanism by which the pattern or box chain may be moved intermittentlyin either a forward or backward direction and by which. the indicationof any selected box chain bar may be'repeated any desired number oftimes. Furthermore, it Will be noted that the multiplier may he usedwhen theibox chain is beingmoved in either direction, which is adistinctadvantage not possessed to our knowledge byany previous multiplying;mechanism. V The entire; multiplier is-compactly arranged .as a unitarystructure which; may be readily attached to a commercial dobby orKnowles head and which maybe as-re'adily'removed when the use thereof is1 not desired.

I Preferably. also we provide a detachable driving connection 120 in thegeartrain, so that the. multiplier may be temporarily thrown out ofaction but will be in exact timed relation when itis again connected.- I1 Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we donot-wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, other.- wisethan as set forthin'the claims, but what we claim is I 1. In a'drop boxloom having a plurality of harnesses and a dobby having a pattern chaincontrolling said harnesses, incombination, ,a multiplying mechanismmounted on and abovesaid dobby and having a'pattern chain controllingsaid drop boxes, and means to intermittently feedsaid chain in timedrelation to the movements of the harnesses. 1 2. In a drop box loomhaving aplurality of harnesses and a dobby having a pattern chaincontrolling said harnesses, in combination, a multiplying mechanismformed as 'a unitary structuresupported by'and above said dobby andhaving a pattern chain controlling the-dropboxes, and means tointermittently feed said' chain in timed relation tothe movements of theharnesses. e

3. In adrop box loom having a plurality of harnesses and a dobby havinga pattern chain controlling said harnesses, in combination a multiplyingmechanism-mounted on and above said dobby and; having a patternchain'controlling the drop .boxes, means to intermittently feed said boxchain, means to repeat a selected indication of said box chain apredetermined'numberof times, and means to reverse he direction ofintermittent f (1- ing movement of said box chain.

4:. A multiplying mechanism for a. drop boxlooml comprising a box chain,means to intermittently feed saidv box chain forward or backward,pattern mechanism 'to'deter; mine the direction of feed,andpattern-mechanism to cause a selected indication of said box chain'toberepeated a'predetermined the direction of feed, and patternmechanismto cause a selected indication offsaid-box c em. ells ep a d; ars term nd 1mmber of times when said box chain is being fed in either direction.6. A multiplying mechanism comprising a box chain, a multiplying chain,a reversing chain, a non-rotatable supporting shaft, a separate drivingcylinder for each chain, mounted for independent rotation on said shaft,a driving shaftfor said multiplying and reversing chain cylinders, asecond driving shaft for said box chain cylinder, means tointermittently rotate said first driving shaft in one direction only,means to intermittently rotate said second driving shaft in either oftwo directions, and pattern controlled means for determiningthe'direction of rotation of said second shaft. 7. Ina multiplier, apattern chain, a cylinder therefor, a star wheel for said cylinder, a.pin gear for said star wheel, a driving shaft 011 which said pin gear isslidable but relatively non-rotatable, and pattern controlled selectivemeans for intermittently rotating said driving shaft in eitherdirection.

8. In a multiplier, a pattern chain, a cylinder therefor, a star wheelfor said cylinder, a pin gear for said star wheel, a driving shaft onwhich said pin gear is slidab-le but relatively non-rotatable, andpattern controlled selective means for intermittently r0- WILLIAM M.WATTIE. f

KARL S. WHITTEN. i

tating said driving shaft in either direction,

said latter means comprising a star wheel on said driving shaft, a pairof additional drivingshafts means to rotate said latter shaftscontinuously in opposite directions, and pin gears slidable on saidlatter driving shafts and selectively engaging said star Wheel on saidfirst driving shaft.

9. A multiplying mechanism comprising a pattern cylinder, a box chainthereon, a multiplying chain, a reversing chain, a plurality ofbox-shifting levers controlled by said box chain, a pair of additionallevers controlled bysaid box chain, connections from one of saidadditional levers effective to control said multiplying chain, andconnections from the other additional levereffective to control thereversing chain.

10. In a drop box loom, a harness chain H and cylinder, means to drivesaid cylinder in one direction, a box chain and cylinder, means to drivesaid box chain cylinder in either a forward or a reverse direction, anda gear train maintaining said first and second driving means in fixeddriving relation.

-11. In adrop box loom, a harness chain and cylinder, means to drivesaid cylinder in one direction, a box chain and cylinder, means to drivesaid box chain cylinder in either a forward or a reverse direction, andreleasable means to maintain said first and second driving'means infixed driving relation and effective to restore said relation afterrelease of said second driving means.

12. In a multiplying mechanism, a box chain, a multiplying chain, areversing chain,

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